Rotary engine.



No. 659,295. Patented Oct. 9, I900.

J. M. EVANS.

ROTARY EN GIN E.

(Application filed Mar. 1, 1900.) (In Iodol.) 2 smm-smn I.

java/2%? il/I66 //7. 2 62006 THE mums PETERS 120.. vnorau'r m WASHINGTON. u. a,

No. 659,295. Patented on. 9, I900.

.1. m. .EVANS.

ROTARY ENGINE.

(Application n'flled Mar. '1, 1900. p

(No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet 2.

java/6%? ji/fies W. 2 0M 76 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFI E.

JAMES M. EVANS, or CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

ROTARY ENGINE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 659,295, dated October 9, 1906-. Application filed March 1, 1900. serial No. 7,034. (N 0 model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that 1, JAMES M. EVANS, acitizen of the United States, residing at Chicago, in the State of Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Rotary Engines, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to rotary engines of the type described and illustrated in my application for Letters Patent, filed April 25, 1899, Serial No. 714,390, in which a rotary roller-piston is shown eccentrically' mounted in a cylinder having a steam-chamber divided by a series of partitions. The present invention is confined more particularly to' the structure of the piston with the object of securing a steam-tight joint between the sides of the same and the cylinder-walls without the employment of packing. To this end the invention includes a piston formed of two parts, one of which is designed to expand under steam-pressu re to firmly contact with the cylinder-walls to prevent leakage of the steam.

The invention also includes the details of construction hereinafter described, and particularly pointed out in the claims.

The invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which' Figure 1 is a central sectional elevation; Fig.

and Fig. 4 an elevation of the piston;

The cylinder 1 is of the same form and construction as that described in my application before referred to with the piston mounted on a crank journaled therein. To the piston the inner ends of partitions 3,which are guided in pockets 4, extending beyond the periphery of the cylinder, are connected, the detail arrangement of this connection being particularly described hereinafter. Each side wall of the inner periphery of the cylinder is re cessed in radial alinement with the pockets to provide guideways & to receive the side edges of these partitions. At their inner ends the partitions are cut out to form legs, which straddle the piston and which are held en-' tirely within the recesses in the walls of thesteam-chamber, so that their inner faces will be flush with the side walls of said chamber. The piston comprises an inner solid part or core 5, journaled upon the crank 6 of the drive-shaft, having an annular channel 8 in 2, a detail cross-sectional View of the pis-- ton; Fig. 3, a detail of one of the partitions,

each side thereof and overhanging peripheral flanges 7. Inclosing the core is a shell 8, formed of two sections 9 10, having the adjacent edges of the wall thereof tongued and grooved to fit into each other. A ring 11,

forming the inner wall of the shell and joined to the same by a web 12, is arranged at the outer side of each section, and the inner ends of these rings project within the peripheral flanges 7, this ring forming, with the outer walls of the sections, channels to receive said flanges 7, a free'space being left all around the same. In the inner edge of each ring 11 the outer edge of a flexible diaphragm 12 is held in any suitable manner, so as to be steamtight, but preferably,as shown,by packing 13.

The inner edges of the diaphragms are secured to the adjacent side of the core within the channels 8 by clamping-rings 14:, secured in position by screws 15. Through the periphery of the shell at several points openings'17 extend, which are closed by balllegs of the partitions, run to form the connection between the piston and the legs. As

the inner faces of the legs are flush with the sides of the steam-chamber, the outer edge of the shell and the edges of the rings 11 will contact with the sides of the steam-chamber. To make this contact firm, so that the steam let into the compartments cannot escape between the sides of the piston and the walls of the chamber, I aim to expand the shell by an internal steam-pressure. In my former case packing was provided in the sides of the piston to prevent the leakage of the steam. With the structure as described in the present case this packing is rendered unnecessary, as sufficient steam will pass from the steam-chamber through the openings 17, the pressure being sufficient to unseat the valves 18 and enter the space around the core formed.

maintaining a steam-tight connection be-' tween the same and the core. In the periphery of the core an annular recess 18' is provided which receives a packing l9, comprising a split metal ring that is forced by its elasticity and by the steam against the inner periphery of the shell at the point of junction of the two sections, so that leakage at this pointis prevented.

A steam-tight contact is formed between the periphery of the piston and the partitions by means of shoes 20, carried by the partitions and bearing on the piston. The shoes, which have semispherical rear faces fitting in like-shaped recesses in the inner edge of the partitions, are connected pivotally to sliding blades 21, guided in cylindrical bearings 22, mounted in the partitions. A spring 23 is interposed between the ends of the blades and the rear wall of the Way in each bearing to hold the shoes at all times in close contact with the piston. The shoes are thus mounted so that they will accommodate themselves at all times to the changing relative positions of the piston and blades, so as to prevent any strain being placed on the parts.

I claim as my invention-- 1. The combination with a rotary engine having a steam-chamber, of a piston having a laterally-expansible portion surrounding the same to form a steam-tight fit with the walls of said chamber, substantially as described.

2. The combination with a rotary engine, a steam-chamber, and a piston comprising a core and laterally-expansible shell surrounding the core, substantially as described.

3. The combination with a rotary engine, a steam-chamber, of a piston comprising a core and a laterally-expan sible sectional shell surrounding the core, substantially as described.

4. The combination with a rotary engine having a steam-chamber, of a piston comprising a core, a shell formed in sections and a flexible connection between the sections and the core, substantially as described.

5. The combination with a rotary engine having a steam-chamber, of a core, a shell inclosing the same formed in two sections, a flexible connection between the shell and the core and a steam-inlet leading through the shell, substantially as described.

6. The combination with a rotary engine having a steam-chamber, of a core mounted thereon having a peripheral flange, a sectional shell inclosing said flange a steam-inlet leading through the shell, partitions adapted to slide in the walls of the cylinder, legs on the partitions, straddling the piston, said legs being confined in recesses in the walls of the steam-chamber and a connection between the legs and the shell, substantially as described.

7. The combination with a rotary engine having a steam-chamber,'of a core mounted therein having a peripheral flange, a sectional shell inclosing said flange,a steam-inlet leading through the shell, partitions adapted to slide in the walls of the cylinder, legs on the partitions straddling the piston, said legs being confined in recesses in thewalls of the steamchamber and projections extending from the inner faces of the legs guided in ways in the shell, substantially as described.

8. The combination with an engine having a steam chamber, a piston eccentrically mounted therein, and a series of sliding partitions connected to the piston, of a shoe carried by each partition adapted to bear on the cylinder, a sliding blade carrying the shoe and a pivotal connection between the blade and the shoe and the blade and the partition, substantially as described.

9. In combination with a rotary enginehaving a steam-chamber of a piston mounted therein comprising a core, a sectional shell inclosing the same having steam-inlets through the same, partitions dividing the steam-chambers, said shell having annular channels therein, projections on the partitions guided in the channels, and adiaphragm interposed between the shell and the core.

In testimony whereof I aifix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

JAMES M. EVANS.

Witnesses:

F. L. MIDDLETON, HENRY E. COOPER. 

